How to Write a Sales Letter That Gets Results

How to Write a Sales Letter That Gets ResultsHow to Write a Sales Letter That Gets ResultsEven in this digital age, a sales letter can convert prospects into customers if you know how to write one. Learning this skill will help you reach a variety of people. Writing sales letters doesnt have to be limited to direct mail, though. You can write a sales letter for your website, your emaille leads and other marketing communications too. Lets begin. First, Identify Your Target Audience You have to know exactly who your target audience is before you write your sales letter. Make a list of your leads and who these people are to get to know your potential customer. If you dont know who youre selling to, you dont know how to sell to them. Understand whos buying your product, who youre sending your sales letter to and gear your sales letter directly to them. Know Your Customer by Name Take the time to address your customers by name on the outside of the envelope and in your sales lette r as well. A letter that reads, Dear Mrs. Johnson, says a lot mora to your lead than one that reads, Dear Potential Customer or Dear Sir/Madam. Write a Powerful, Engaging Headline A well-written headline sets the stage for an effective sales letter. You can make it stand out by centering it, making the font large, bold, or in a bright color. Just make sure you choose the right words to grab your customers attention right from the start. A 100 point headline in bold, red font still has to be written well, or your potential customer will stop reading. Craft an Intriguing Introduction The introduction should NOT be bland or pedestrian. It is usually where you make or break the chance of a sale, so make it count. Your intro may ask a question. It may pose a problem scenario, and then you provide the solution. Just make sure your introduction doesnt give the customer an easy way out. For example, if youre using a question as an introduction, make sure the customer cant simply ans wer with a, no. If you ask a yes or no question, you can easily lose your customer because they dont have the problem youve posed in your question. They stop reading, and your letter goes in the trash can. Elaborate You Sales Message Using Subheads Write your sales letters subheads so that they help break up the text of your letter into sections. You dont want to drone on for three pages filling the paper with word after word. Use subheads, to sum up each section, invite the reader into that section and, fruchtwein importantly, keep them reading your sales letter all the way to the end. You Should Constantly Be Connecting With the Customer Connect with your potential customer as often as you can by using a personal, friendly tone. Use this same tone throughout your sales letter. Identify with the customers problem and provide them with the solution. By writing the letter as if the customer is your friend, your sales letter makes more of an impact than a letter that feels li ke a stuffy company trying to get a customer to buy something. Pose a Problem, BUT ALWAYS Give the Solution How will customers know they need your product if they dont even know they have a problem you can fix? Write your sales letter from the customers point of view. Even if someone is a master seamstress and youre selling a glue that hems clothes in minutes, make every customer feel they cant live without your product. In this example, you have the opportunity to reach people who rip their pocket or need a quick hem without having a lot of time to fix the problem. Your product helps them do just that, no matter what their sewing experience level. Just using a little of your special glue helps get them on their way. State the Features and Benefits...Again and Again Youveposedthe problem and given the customer the solution. Dont stop now. Keep stating the benefits and features of your product. If you dont keep the momentum going now, your sales letter will lose steam and no t help move your customer to the end of the sales letter. Why is your product better? How will it directly help the customer? Use Bullet Points for Easy Comprehension When stating facts about your product, features, benefits, etc., it can be easy to get caught in a trap of using sentence after sentence as an explanation. Go back to the old, Keep It Simple Stupid, philosophy. Use bullet points instead of long, boring sentences. Bullets also help break up the page visually, which also makes your sales letter more inviting to your customers. Customer Testimonials Are Very Persuasive If you havecustomer testimonials, they can be a great sales tool. They make you and your product credible while helping your customers state exactly what it is they like about your product. Use testimonials sparingly and shorten them up. Some of the mostpowerful testimonialsare the shortest in length. If a testimonial is too long, trim it because you dont want to lose your prospect in a long,drawn-o uttestimonial. Offer an Incentive to Help Close the Sale A free trial, no risk-obligation or a special gift are just some of the incentives you can use to generate interest in your product.Using an incentivegives your sales letter more mileage with the customer because youre offering them something just for that select group of people receiving your letter. Make Good Use of Your Call to Action Yourcall to actiontells customers what you want them to do. Call now Hurry before this offer ends This offer is not available in stores. Get a free upgrade just for calling. Use your call to action to direct customers to the next move, getting them one step closer to the sale. Dont Forget to Add a P.S. A P.S. is a golden nugget you should use in your sales letter. You can use the P.S. for important information you want to save until the very end, remind people that an offer will end on a certain date or use it to reveal other pertinent information you want to leave people with as a fin al thought. Many times, people who may be skimming your sales letter will read the P.S. If its strong and persuasive enough, they may decide to read the entire letter when they might not otherwise.

Job Scam Alert Post Office Jobs

Job Scam Alert Post Office JobsJob Scam Alert Post Office JobsIf you thought that job scams only involved private companies and businesses, think again. Theres a new job scam that earnest job seekers are falling for, and it involves the federal government. Keep reading to learn more about the latest job scam related to post office jobs.Scam artists are now targeting people looking for federal or post office jobs as their next victims. The scammers operate in a variety of ways. They might advertise in your local newspaper in the classified sections and offer to help job seekers find and apply for federal or post office jobs. They might charge you a fee to help you find standorts, or even help you prepare for any exams that you might have to take by urging you to buy study materials. (They even assure you that your money is refundable should you fail to pass the postal exam.)Heres the truth you shouldnt have to pay for a job. Ever. You can always find out if there are any openings with the USPS United States Postal Service by visiting usps.com/careers or by clicking the careers link at the bottom of the usps.com home page. It is through the USPS website that you should apply for any postal positions, not via a third party who promises to land you a job as a postal worker. The best part applying for these jobs is always free. Although applying through the USPS directly might be more time-consuming, it is truly the safest way to find a job working with this federal agency.So if you are planning to apply for a postal position (and want to steer clear of any potential job scams), heres what you need to knowKnow where to apply.Scam artists would like you to believe that there are hidden postal and federal jobs that only they have access to. But the USPS posts all of its jobs on its website, so you wont need to hire someone to search out the jobs for you. If youre told that a potential job exists in your area, check the USPS website to ensure its validity.Watch your w allet.The Federal Trade Commission warns people against paying someone to help them pass the postal exam. So shelling out your money for practice exams, a tip sheet, and a listing of postal jobs simply doesnt make sense. They stress that the exam is more of an aptitude test, not something that you can study for. Plus, passing the postal exam doesnt automatically guarantee a job, since other factors, such as passing both a background and a drug test, can make or break you landing a postal position.Know the personennames.Some job scammers will set up an official-looking company name to fool you into thinking they work directly with the USPS, but they actually dont. The FTC reports some scammers using names like the U.S. Agency for Career Advancement or the Postal Employment Service, neither of which exist. So dont be fooled by an official-sounding name or title.There are no lengths that a job scammer wont go to in order to get you to part with your money. Be aware and cautious as you go about your job search, and you can avoid any would-be job scams- signed, sealed, delivered.Readers, have you fallen victim to a post office job scam? Let us know what happened in the comments

The Case for Hiring Contractors

The Case for Hiring ContractorsThe Case for Hiring ContractorsWith the number of temporary workers up 50% since the recession ended four years ago and the number of contract workers at an all-time high, freelance work is fast becoming a mainstay in the 21st century economy. The rise in temporary employment often represents a mutual benefit between businesses need to keep costs down and workers lifestyle choices. At the same time that businesses are pleased to avoid health care and retirement costs, some workers are willing to forego them in favor of lifestyle flexibility. This means if youre not working with contract staff yet, you might be doing so soon. So how do you know when to bring on temporary staff, and what do you need to look for? Short-Term and Specialized HelpHiring contractors is a better choice for short-term projects, said Avni Shah, lead recruiter for Simply Hired. Hiring a permanent employee for a short project is not cost-effective as you have to pay a base salary a nd/or other variable compensation positiv benefits. Shandy Dunn, vice president of High Tech Connect, a consulting agency for marketing talent, lists specific instances in which contractors are ideal. Companies bring on consultants for both strategic and tactical spikes in output like rebranding, sales kick-offs, website redesign and corporate re-orgs. Dunn also mentioned the cost-effectiveness of contractors for these short-term efforts. It makes more sense to spend more per-hour and less time on training and benefits by bringing in experts who can turn around projects quickly, she said. Try Before You BuyAnother reason companies choose to invest in contract help is because of the risks associated with finding the right employee. Its easier to let a contractor go than a full-time employee. They might have missed the mark with the previous hire, Dunn said. Hiring a contract worker helps employers gauge whether someone is a better fit with the current kollektiv. You want to see how t hat person engages with the team and how they perform in the assignment on hand, Shah said. In engineering, for example, theres an acute learning curve. A lot of companies want to see if the software engineer that they put on contract can learn their specific technologies, Shah said.Finding the Right (Temporary) FitNot everyone wants a contract role or is well suited to one.You want people who are flexible and comfortable moving in and out of different environments. A contractor needs to have the right temperament, Dunn said.The contractor who is brought on as an expert must start applying their expertise almost immediately with very little training. Its also a lifestyle choice that may or may not be suited to a persons life stage. Its up to the recruiter to really sell the opportunity/experience, said Shah. If theyre looking for long-term stability, they wont be interested in a temp role. Chelsea Gschwend, a former contractor with NetApp, enjoyed contracting for the year-and-a-half that she did so. I welches bound by working eight hours a day, she said, unlike being on salary where days may last longer than others. I liked the independence it offered. The flexibility worked for her lifestyle, and she didnt mind not getting paid for sick days or vacations, but eventually she had to seek a full-time role. Being a contractor meant that it was harder for my husband and I to buy a house, she said. My income could not be counted even though we made enough to afford a decent home in the Bay Area. No one would give us a loan because my income came with an end date. Dunn takes the view that contracting works best at different life stages. Over the years Ive seen people shift back and forth between contracting and permanent roles, she said. Contracting may or may not be a fit if someone is buying a house, starting a family or becoming an empty-nester. The best contractors will have the right temperament, expertise and interest in the contracting lifestyle. Establishing Employee Event Participation GuidelinesShould temporary employees participate in all-hands and team building events? It varies from company to company, said Shah. Dunn agrees, and cautions, Theres the co-employment issue. You dont want to platzdeckchen yourself up for a lawsuit. She said engagements that involve corporate restructuring, executive strategy and rebranding are situations in which a contractor would be expected to attend company-wide meetings. Its not necessary for every contractor, Dunn said. When temporary employees are being paid by the hour, it makes sense to for them to spend their time in a way that maximizes productivity. The expertise of enthusiastic contractors can reduce the risk of bad hires while providing immediate help. Whether your company has a short-term initiative or is looking to cut costs, expanding your temporary workforce is worth considering. You can post a temporary or permanent job on Simply Hired today. This article is part of a series on how to adapt and thrive in this new era of changing careers. To receive articles like this by email, sign up for Simply Hireds Monthly Newsletter and Feature Articles. Read more from this series The Changing Workforce4 Pleasing Results From Hiring a Career Change CandidateDiversify with Career-Change Candidates 6 Factors to Consider6Tips for Hiring in Emerging FieldsCareer Resurrection How to Identify Top Candidates from Declining Fieldsgeschftsleben Agility Meets Flexibility The Growth in Alternative Work Models